Garment & Textile · Finishing
Mercerising
Alkaline (NaOH) treatment of cotton under tension to increase lustre, strength and dye affinity.
Origin
Global
Era
Modern (1844)
Images
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Video
Industrialist View
Adds ~US$0.5/kg cotton. Almost all premium cotton shirting is double-mercerised.
Tailor & Garment-Worker View
Stronger yarn = longer seam life.
Construction & Use
See Fibre entry for invention history.